News & Media

june 2013 update

Welcome to our June update!

We’ve got lots we want to tell you about. Announcing the winners of our Video Competition; telling you about exciting learning opportunities for those of you wanting to get active in developing fresh expressions of church; and giving you a glimpse of the first major review of the book, “Green Shoots out of Dry Ground: growing a new future for the church in Canada.”

In all of this it is important to acknowledge God’s activity. It is God’s mission that we are called into. Not a mission which we execute on behalf of God, but rather a mission that God sometimes chooses to execute through us. God continues to be the initiator and instigator of mission, it’s our job to pay attention, and sometimes to join in what we see God doing. In all of this of course Jesus is our model, “the Son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.” (John 5.19 NRSV) So, as the onset of summer in the northern hemisphere gives some of us the opprtunity to slow down and reflect, the questions “What have we seen God doing, in our own community, our friends and families and our own lives?” is a vital one, that we each need to ask, and to be attentive to God for an answer.

MSM online-relaunch!

Plans are underway for launching a September 2013-May 2014 realtime edition of the course. At the moment we are looking at running Tuesdays evenings 7-9 pm EST, every other week starting September 19th. If you are interested in knowing more about the course, please contact Nick Brotherwood at msmonline@freshexpressions.ca

First “Green Shoots out of Dry Ground” review

Preston Pouteaux (DMin.,Tyndale Seminary) is a National Team member with Forge Canada and is the Director of Discipleship Ministry at Lutheran Church of Our Saviour in Calgary,Alberta. Preston is a neighbourhood church planter, water-colour portrait artist, and beekeeper. Read his in-depth review of Green Shoots here.

Video Contest

Back in February we invited you to produce a 3 minute Canadian video that shows:

a Fresh Expression of Church in your community, or

a Church Plant Initiative, or

an Innovative Ministry Initiative

To say that we were overwhelmed with submissions would be untrue, but the winners of the competition, have produced an excellent video which tells the story of an innovative ministry initiative that they conceived and developed,

…and the winners are… Cam Fraser & Andrew Hyde!

“We wanted to blow the doors off what worship could be,” Andrew Hyde said. The Youth and Young Families Minister at Norval United Church, Norval, ON, began collaborating with Cam Fraser, coordinator of the Annex, based out of St. Paul’s United Church, in Milton, ON, on worship installations just over a year ago.

Andrew Hyde

Cam Fraser

“Traditional worship is a spectator sport,” Hyde said. “We wanted to go the opposite way and create do it yourself exploratory experiences. So we brought in the arts and hands on stuff to broaden our horizons.”

“I like the idea of opening up space— spaces of resonance—inside and outside ourselves—to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit,” Fraser said, The two have been “opening up space” in very unique ways.

“I started doing worship installations around 2004 or so, at St. James United in Waterdown,” Hyde said. “It’s a lot of fun and a great way to be creative.”

“Andrew’s the visual guy,” Fraser said. “I do more of the writing and sound.”…

…”In March 2013, the pair will use one image to unite the various elements of their Holy Week Installation entitled “Table.d”. “We’re going to explore what tables mean and how they’re used,” Hyde said.

Although Fraser said they have “a solid draft of what all the stations are going to look like,” they’re still “seeking out the materials and trying out some of the ideas. As we work on them, they usually subtly morph into something else, and sometimes they significantly change into something completely different than planned.”

Hyde said that “a real mix of people right across the board,” came to the last two installations. “Some churches brought their youth groups. People are looking for new expressions of worship—new ideas about what worship might be. And this is really neat.”

The dynamic duo’s Holy Week installation was housed at Grace Anglican Milton on Tuesday March 26th and Weds March 27,th before moving on to Norval United on Thursday March 28.th Viewing hours were 6:30 – 9:00 each evening.

Messy Church News

Big “Thank Yous!” are due to our wonderful hosts and participants at our two training days in April, where we had the privilege to work with about 50 folks at each of the events – a Messy Fiesta (day for newcomers to Messy Church) at York Pines United Church in Kettleby ON and a Messy Meet Up (networking and sharing day for practitioners) at the Innerkip United Church in Woodstock, ON. Nancy Rowe, Andy Kalbfleisch and I had a great time! Thanks also to Ryan Monkman who ran a Messy Fiesta in Regina SK on May 25 to promote Messy Church in that area!

Fall Training Events:

Messy Fiesta in Wallaceburg ON on Saturday, November 2nd – details will follow on the website as they become available

Other Messy Fiestas in discussion phase for the Fall so check back on the website for dates and details.

Messy Church books are available in Canada through Scripture Union as well as Augsburg Fortress and the United Church Distribution Centre.

Andy and I had an excellent meeting in the UK with the Messy Church Team at the Bible Reading Fellowship (BRF) office in May. We discussed how MC is spreading throughout Canada and how we can work together to further Messy Church in Canada. We also had an opportunity to participate with the Quadring Messy Church in rural England which was great fun – thanks to Ian Walters for the invitation!

Messy Church Canada (MCC) is working with folks in many areas of Canada to help MC practitioners network and be supported as they work toward making Jesus known.

A Messy Church brochure will be included in the 1000 delegate kits at the July 2013 Joint Assembly of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada in Ottawa – if you are a delegate, look for the brochure and share it with others! Thanks to Wycliffe College for their support for this!

Please let Sue Kalbfleisch ( MCC team leader, 1-905-648-0302 messy@freshexpressions.ca ) know if you are starting a Messy Church so you can be added to the Canadian list, and/or to find out about Canadian resources/contacts. We will be developing Regional Coordinators as we head into the Fall to be of more ‘local’ assistance to Canadian Messy Churches.

Church Planting Canada presents Congress 2013

Join them on November 19-21 2013 at The Meeting House to hear from 5 plenary speakers, participate in interactive workshops, and network with fellow church planters from all across Canada. Check out their website at http://www.thecongress.ca/info-registration for more information and registration.Help them spread the word! http://www.thecongress.ca/Media has downloadable promotional material.

I am writing this on the longest day of the year, but I have yet to hear a cicada and summer really doesn’t start for me until I have heard one. So I’m listening for my sign of summer. What are the signs of God’s activity that you are seeing or hearing where you live? I’d love to know. You can email me at nick.brotherwood@freshexpressions.ca.